Porterville Unified School District to Build 763 kW Solar Microgrid for School Bus Charging

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) is partnering with ForeFront Power to develop a comprehensive project integrating solar energy, battery storage, and an electric vehicle charging fleet, aiming to meet the district's energy, transportation, and resilience needs with clean, renewable, and lower-cost electricity.

The project is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean School Bus Program (CSB), secured for the district with assistance from the nonprofit organization CALSTART, which is dedicated to connecting businesses, government agencies, and industry partners to accelerate the adoption of clean transportation technologies. Additionally, PUSD is collaborating with The Mobility House (TMH), an independent charging management provider.

The PUSD zero-emission transportation infrastructure and microgrid in the project will involve installing a 763 kW solar array on existing shade structures at the district's northern and southern parking lots, paired with a 408 kW/1,632 kWh battery energy storage system to store solar energy, provide emergency power, and discharge for peak shaving. A microgrid controller will enable the facility to disconnect from Southern California Edison's grid when necessary, allowing it to be powered directly by PUSD's on-site solar and storage assets.

The solar-plus-storage system will power 35 DC fast-charging ports to serve the district's planned electric school bus fleet. These fast chargers will be integrated into The Mobility House's ChargePilot charging management system, enabling the fleet to coordinate the use of PUSD's on-site energy system with grid electricity. The electric vehicle charging infrastructure also includes eight charging ports at the northern parking lot for the district's "white fleet," two of which have bidirectional charging capability, allowing energy storage and discharge to the grid through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services.

V2G and microgrid technologies are integral components of Porterville's resilience strategy, aimed at protecting the broader community during emergencies or power outages.

"We are excited to advance this critical infrastructure project that supports the district's long-term goals of sustainability, energy resilience, and responsible management of public resources," said Brad Rohrbach, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services at PUSD. "This is a significant investment in our students, schools, and community, while helping the district achieve a more efficient and sustainable future."

Designed, engineered, and developed by ForeFront Power, the project has an expected lifespan of 30 years, during which PUSD will collaborate with the company for ongoing asset management services. The project will provide PUSD with budget certainty and reduce reliance on fossil fuel fleets. Transitioning to electric buses will lower fuel and maintenance costs, delivering long-term savings over the project's lifecycle and insulating PUSD's budget from fluctuations in diesel and utility rates.

"We commend Porterville Unified School District for pursuing this innovative zero-emission infrastructure project," said Dr. Ruben Fontes, CEO of ForeFront Power. "Upon completion, this clean energy portfolio will serve as a national model, demonstrating how underserved communities can mitigate rising energy and fuel costs, improve public health, achieve climate goals, and protect themselves from climate emergencies."

The project will also advance PUSD's School Climate Action Pathways (CAPS) initiative by connecting classroom learning and career pathways with real-world clean energy infrastructure. Through CAPS-aligned project units, energy audits, and analysis of the district's solar, storage, and electric vehicle charging systems, students can use the campus as a living laboratory to develop skills in renewable energy, sustainability, and energy efficiency.